David M. Dastych

Richard Pipes Was Awarded the National Humanities Medal Nov. 15, 2007 at the White House

The medal was awarded by President George W. Bush in a White House East Room ceremony today (Thursday, November 15, 2007). The president was joined by First Lady Laura Bush; Mrs. Lynne Cheney; Dana Gioia, chairperson, National Endowment for the Arts; Bruce Cole, chairperson, National Endowment for the Humanities; and recipients of the National Medal of Arts, who also received their honors at the event.

Lech Walesa’s New Heart

Warsaw, Poland: November 7 used to be celebrated in the then Communist countries, the Soviet Union in particular, as "The Revolution Day". Not any more now, save for the Russian hard-core Communists longing for the "glorious" past. On that day, in 1981, straight from a reception at the Soviet Embassy in Warsaw, the late Colonel Ryszard Kuklinski, a top CIA agent in Poland, walked out to "disappear" and soon he and his family safely landed in the United States.

Musharraf’s Step Back

In a sharp political analysis published in India on September 5, 2007, Hamid Mir, one of the top Pakistani journalists (and also a CFP columnist) predicted the imposition of martial law in his country. His article, entitled "Pakistan and the 'minus two' formula" suggested: "Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf's top advisers have seriously suggested applying Bangladesh's 'minus two formula' in Pakistani politics (...) The army-backed interim government in Bangladesh suspended general elections for one year and imposed emergency in early 2007. The Bangladeshi army also attempted to banish two former prime ministers Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina from politics (hence 'minus two')."

DEMOCRACY, NOT “TWINS-CRACY”

Warsaw, Tuesday, October 23: Poles went to the polls on Sunday and the turnout was a record high since 1991: 53.8 percent (out of 30 million citizens registered, over 16 million cast valid votes). The October 21 snap elections in Poland could be the most important since the regime change in 1989. A majority of the voters, including most of the young ones, cast their ballots for the Civic Platform (PO), a pro-business center-right party (41.51 %), expressing their disillusionment with the two years of the rule of the Kaczynski Twins' conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party and their bizarre coalition with the populist Self-Defense (Samoobrona) and the nationalist-right League of Polish Families (LPR). Yet, Law and Justice remains a strong opposition (32.11%).

Poles Help Iraqis, Face Death

Warsaw, Poland. -- On September 24, Polish Radio Foreign Service reported: "Little Jannat had been the focus of Polish media from the day she arrived in Wroclaw two months ago." The girl was transported to Poland, thanks to the assistance and medical care of the Polish military contingent stationed in Iraq. This was coupled with the sincere cooperation of local authorities and organizations from Lower Silesia, where the girl was brought with her father and grandfather as guardians.